WD MyBook Essential 2gb Drive - won't connect?

I bought in March 2011 so still under warranty. I have about 5 years of business information backed up on the drive. I dont remember installing any software or have a CD. Everything has worked fine until I went on holiday last week and disconnected, placed in a lockable cupboard. On reconnection everything seems to work fine…lights up, no whirring sounds, flashs twice but doesnt show the drive and cannot access the drive. I use a USB 2 port.

Have used a different powerpack, a different USB lead and reconnected to another laptop (both new as well). The USB ports work with other applications.

I really need to acess and save all my information very quickly so any help will be gratefully received.

Thank you.

TaffR

Further to my last post.

I have tried all the options advice in the top thread.

Following their advice I have now gone into ‘Computer Management’ & Storage and now see (I think) all the drives…C, D and the top one doesnt have a drive letter (used to be ‘F’) showing 20gb so I think this is the WD drive.

I am not sure now what to do to get this going and access the data?

TaffR

Can I assume that I will not receive a response?

Ok…tried everything and it seems that this is an inherent problem not just with this type of drive but with WD as a whole. It wont connect now and it isnt the lead or the power either. Had my last drive for 6 years and no problem. You cannot call them or email. Even if you do it is obvious you will be fed [Deleted] as they are very aware but offer up NO solutions or real advice and no one on this forum will neither. It is safe to say that my broken drive isnt a one off!!

The only reason we need an external drive is to back up essential data and sell this under guise of that do that but dont care to meeting the basic aims then then they are seriously letting customers down. Some data cannot be replaced and if lost have serious ramifications!! Do we now need another back-up system to back-up the first system??

Is anyone here aboe to advise of how I am able to retrieve my data from this drive which is still under warranty and cannot be sent off to WD or a 3rd party to do this? Is there a cost? Will WD compensate for lost data?

TaffR

This is just a users forum not customer service. Apparently nobody had anything else to try. In the future never trust important data to just one drive internal or external no matter who makes it. A backup is 2 copies not simply transfering it to an external drive.

Joe

wow…great advice:))))))))

any idea where they are skulking?

TaffR wrote:

The only reason we need an external drive is to back up essential data and sell this under guise of that do that but dont care to meeting the basic aims then then they are seriously letting customers down. Some data cannot be replaced and if lost have serious ramifications!! Do we now need another back-up system to back-up the first system??

 

Is anyone here aboe to advise of how I am able to retrieve my data from this drive which is still under warranty and cannot be sent off to WD or a 3rd party to do this? Is there a cost? Will WD compensate for lost data?

 

TaffR

You can not be any more wrong than this.

A “backup” means BY DEFINITION to have the exact same data on at least two completely separate, independent and unrelated devices at the same time in case one is to fail. If the data is not mirrored on 2 places then by all means, standards and definitions, YOU DON’T HAVE A BACKUP.

That huge misunderstanding and misconception of the definition of a backup is costing you your data. That drive is NOT your backup drive because it is the PRIMARY source of your data, not a SECONDARY COPY.

No matter WHO makes a drive, the quality, the reputation and the reviews, NEVER EVER leave your data on one single location because it’s just as safe as the internal drive of your computer and has the exact same chances of failing. If you need an external drive to store the information your computer can’t store due to lack of space, then BUY TWO, preferable from different brands and have them have the same info, any other thing is NOT a backup.

And no, WD doesn’t cover data recovery because precisely, if you have a backup the drive can die a trillion times and you don’t lose a single picture, you just replace the backup drive, copy the same data (As in put the data back, but DON’T erase it from where it came from) again and move on. Contact a recovery company like Kroll or Drive Savers. Same thing for car dealers, you scratch your car and your insurance is the one to pay for the paint job (A backup on this case is data insurance), not the car vendor.

PizzaMatrix - Did you actually direct the above post to a guy who is struggling and frustrated over lost data? The hords of people on this forum are just expecting a miniscule amount of reliability with a device. Most aren’t looking to deploy the proper IT infrastructure protocols to.  secure data. Dude, really

BJ1200 wrote:

PizzaMatrix - Did you actually direct the above post to a guy who is struggling and frustrated over lost data? The hords of people on this forum are just expecting a miniscule amount of reliability with a device. Most aren’t looking to deploy the proper IT infrastructure protocols to.  secure data. Dude, really

Yes I did, because you don’t need a proper IT infrastructure to know that the Oxford Dictionary lists the definition of a backup as:

2 Computing a copy of a file or other item of data made in case the original is lost or damaged: make a backup of any important files [as modifier]: a backup copy.

You can’t blame the drive for a misunderstanding of what a backup is meant to be, at the moment you erase the original files off your computer you automatically and immediately kill the backup, and the drive holding the data will, can and may die at any given moment with no particular reason; it will just die when it feels like it. So making sure your data is safe is your responsibility alone and no one else is to blame.

The reason I replied in such a cold, heartless and distant manner is because the OP makes it sound as if he did nothing wrong and won’t accept responsibility for not having a backup, plus he was sarcastic to Joe_S, who was just trying to help. I have lost data, I cried tears of blood over it, but it was MY fault alone for not making a backup of the data. I can blame the drive or the manufacturer as much as I want for the device failing, but not because of my own irresponsibility with something that is meant to be precious.

I keep four different copies of my data on four different devices from four different brands, and I still don’t feel it’s enough.

I won’t post again on this thead, the OP’s solution is to contact a professional recovery company so they can access the platters to recover the data, and IN THE FUTURE, using a WD drive or not, make sure not to repeat the same mistake. The second you need to erase something off your computer to save space it’s the second you need 2 external drives so you can STILL have a backup. Even burning the data to CD’s/DVD’s is enough to keep things safe until you can get the other drive.